Girl Meets Bullying
by Pebblemist of LightClan
Summary: Riley was weird. Even as her best friend, Maya wasn't going to deny it. But nobody had ever said that being weird was a bad thing. Riley was always there for Maya, a shoulder to cry on, a smile to cheer her up. So Maya didn't understand it when Riley began to get bullied.
1. It All Begins

**like told you that you haven't seen the last of me in this fandom! You can't escape me! Anyways, with the success of my first Girl Meets World fanfiction, His Moment, I was told many great things about it. I felt that I didn't deserve all of that praise. Yes, I enjoyed writing it. But it wasn't written from the heart. His Moment was written because of the lack of Liley stories on FF.N. Now, I bring you a story, written from the heart, about something that happens in every day life. Something that shouldn't happen, but does. Something that has happened to me, and still is happening. Bullying.**

**_I DO NOT OWN GIRL MEETS WORLD _**

The skies were dark. The clouds were gray. Rain beat down on the windows in a steady drizzle. It was the kind of day that would normally dampen any normal person's mood. But Riley was no normal person. It didn't matter that the sun wasn't shining or that the birds weren't chirping.

To Riley, the day was beautiful.

Riley was weird. Even as her best friend, Maya wasn't going to deny it. But nobody had ever said that being weird was a bad thing. And everyone loved Riley and her weirdness. Riley was quirky and awkward, but that was just part of what made her a wonderful person to be around. She was always their for Maya. A shoulder for her to cry on, a smile to cheer her up. Even if she annoyed her with her twisted need to fix her life, she was her best friend.

So Maya didn't understand it when Riley began to get bullied.

Riley's life seemed perfect. She had the perfect family, perfect grades, perfect everything. The universe actually payed attention to her. That was more than Maya could say of herself. She had never met her father. He'd left before she was born. He'd just walked out on her pregnant mother, leaving her a single mom, forced to raise Maya on her own.

The problem was, because Katy had to work so much to provide for her daughter, she didn't get a chance to raise her. And even during the rare times she_ was _around, she was always heading out to auditions, trying to start the acting career she as probably never going to have. Meanwhile, Maya was left at home with no one to help her with her homework. Riley and her family were all she had.

But Maya was strong. She was tough. Sure, her grades weren't the greatest. But she knew that Mr. Matthews wouldn't let her fail. Not if Riley had anything to do with it.

And she didn't want to fail. She wanted to do great things in the world. She wanted the universe to pay attention to her. Riley had her life on track. And with her help, Maya was going to get hers on track, too.

That's what Maya was thinking as she rang the buzzer to Riley's apartment. "Maya," she spoke into the intercom.

The reply came fast, as if Riley had been standing by the door, waiting for her. "Come on up," she said. Maya dashed upstairs and burst through the door, grateful to be out of the rain.

She paused in the doorway, panting. Her clothes were soaked, her blue eyes were wide, and her blonde hair clung to the back of her neck. But she greeted Riley and her family with a smile.

"What's up, losers?" she asked. She never really meant it when she called them 'losers' or 'goofballs.' The Matthews' were the farthest thing from those things. And it never seemed to bother them when she said it, so she kept doing it. It was the Maya way of showing her appreciation for them.

The family sat around tha dining room table. Mr. Matthews wasn't there. He must've already left for work. Riley turned in her chair. She patted the empty chair next to her.

"Come sit, Maya," she said. Maya obeyed, shivering. She was sopping wet, and the air-conditioning wasn't making it any better.

"Maya, oatmeal," Mrs. Matthews demanded, pushing a bowl of oatmeal into Maya's reach.

"No, thanks, MrsMatthews," Maya said. "I'm not hun-"

"Maya, sweetie, I think we've been over this. I wasn't asking." Mrs. Matthews said with a slight smirk, pushing the bowl even closer to her. Maya smiled.

"Thanks," she said gratefully, lifting a spoonful of soggy oatmeal into her mouth. She didn't care that it didn't taste very good. It still had some warmth in it, warmth that she needed to keep from freezing to death.

"Isn't it a beautiful day?" Riley asked, a dreamy look in her bright brown eyes. Maya scoffed.

"Have you looked out your window recently? It's pouring down rain!"

Riley shrugged. "So?"

"So? I'm sopping wet!"

"I still think it's a beautiful day," Riley said. Maya rolled her eyes. Riley thought any day was a beautiful day.

"I swear, Riles," she began. "There could be a tornado out there and instead of taking shelter, you're gonna be staring out of your window saying 'Isn't that swirling cloud beautiful?'"

Riley snorted. "And you'll be next to me drawing it."

Maya stuck her tongue out at her.

Riley responded by sticking her own tongue out. Maya rolled her eyes.

They finished up their breakfast silently. As she finished, Maya pulled out the smartphone that Mr. Matthews had given her. She didn't use it very often. She still wanted to prove that she was okay without being an 'unfeeling zombie,' as Mr. Matthews would call it. She literally only used it to check the time and text Riley when they weren't near each other.

"7 o'clock, Riles," she said. "Ready to go?"

Riley stood up and nodded. "Yep! C'mon!" She started walking towards the door, waving to her family. "Bye, Mom, Bye, Auggie!" she called. She picked up her backpack, throwing it on her back.

Maya smiled, picking up her own bag and following Riley. They headed out the door, ready to take on the world. . .

Which seemed to be falling down on top of them.

Rain crashed down around them, flooding the streets of NYC. Thunder roared in the distance. Both girls were soaked in a matter of seconds.

"Still think it's a beautiful day?" Maya asked dryly. The sky lit up with lightning, followed by a loud clap of thunder. Riley jumped, slightly startled. "I'm gonna take that as a no," she said before Riley could answer.

Riley shrugged, and began walking forward. Water soaked their shoes, and slid down the sidewalk, making it slippery. But luckily, neither of them fell.

Not that it would have made a difference if their butts touched the ground. They were already wet.

They walked the short walk to the subway station, heading downstairs. Maya didn't know about Riley, but she was sure glad to be out of the rain. The subway they needed came in less then two seconds after they made it quickly boarded the underground train.

Luckily, there were seats left, so the shivering girls didn't have to stand. Lucas was on the subway, so of course, Riley had to take the seat next to him.

"Lucas is here!" she said, dragging Maya over to him. Maya rolled her eyes. They were in seventh grade, but Riley still acted like a little kid sometimes. But Riley was Riley.

"Grown up voice," Maya whispered as they made their way to him.

"Lucas, hello," Riley said in her 'grown up voice.' Lucas looked up from his book, smiling at them.

"Hey, Riley, hey Maya," he said in that country accent Maya couldn't stand but Riley said was to die for. Maya didn't understand what she saw in him.

"Howdy, cowboy," she said in her fake country accent. "Do 'ya miss the hoedowns back in Texas, country boy?"

Lucas rolled his eyes. "I thought I was Ranger Roy. You really need to make up your mind on my nickname, city girl."

Maya narrowed her eyes. "Call me city girl again and I will break you."

Lucas tipped his nonexistant cowboy hat in that polite way that always annoyed Maya. "Whatever makes you happy," she paused. "City girl."

Maya shuddered. "You _want _me to break you?"

"If it makes you happy, ma'am."

Maya glared at him, gritting her teeth. "That's it, cowboy-"

"Maya, we're only in seventh grade. I'd prefer it if you _don't _go to jail for murdering somebody," Riley said, putting a hand on Maya's shoulder. Maya took a deep breath.

"Riley, you can't protect him forever. I'll get on his nerves some day, that's a promise."

"Oh, really, ma'am?" Lucas asked, his emerald green eyes narrowed and a smirk written on his face. "I'd love to see that day."

"I take that as a challenge," she said confidently.

"Challenge accepted," he tipped his imaginary cowboy hat. Maya shuddered. She looked at Riley.

"Why can't I break him now?" She hissed in her ear. Riley giggled.

"Come on, Maya. You wouldn't want to break that beautiful face, would you?" She asked with childlike innocence. Maya scoffed. "I'm serious, Maya! You're being such a bully!"

Maya froze._ Bully? Me?_ she thought. _I've never wanted to be a bully. . ._

"It's just a game we play, right, Ranger Roy?" She said, sounding more confident then she actually felt. She'd never thought of herself as a bully before.

Lucas had returned to his book, but he'd listened to the whole conversation. "Maya's not a bully. She's just an annoying city girl," he said with a wink. Maya fought back a sigh of relief. "She's actually very amusing."

"Ah hah!" Maya declared, standing up. "So you admit I annoy yoooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuu!" she cried as the subway car lurched to the side, sending her flying into Lucas's lap.

"Howdy, city girl," he tipped the imaginary hat. Maya huffed.

"Howdy," she spat, jumping off to go sit in her seat. "So, where were we? Oh, yeah, I annoy you, Ranger Roy?"

"I said you were an annoying city girl. I never said that you annoy me," he smirked. Maya shuddered.

"Whatever," she mumbled.

The subway came to a stop at the station closest to the school. The trio made their way to the school, with Lucas holding his jacket over the two girls. The rain wasn't letting up. If anything, it was pounding down harder. It stung Maya's skin. Even if she was under the protection of Lucas's jacket, the rain hit the ground hard, spashing up and stinging her ankles.

They hurried up the steps of John Quincy Addams Middle School, eager to get into the shelter of the school. They burst through the doors, panting and shivering.

The hallways were crowded. People who normally hung out outside before school were clustering around the door, making it almost impossible to move around. Maya took it upon herself to make room for her friends to get through.

"Excuse me, coming through!" she yelled. Older kids gave her dirty looks but as soon as they realized who it was, quickly stepped out of the way. Maya's 'bad girl' image and 'I hate school' attitude made her very well known around school, even with the older kids. She didn't nessicarily _like _being so popular. She didn't want to be remembered as the girl who started the homework rebellion or the girl who set the sprinklers off while doing so.

"Hey!" an unfamiliar voice rang out. "What makes you think you have a right to walk through here like you own the place?"

Maya whipped around, readying a comeback. She froze when she saw the boy who'd yelled. He towered over her by many inches, maybe even a full foot. He was a lot taller, and most likely a lot stronger, than Maya. She certainly wouldn't stand a chance in a fight against him. But he wasn't looking at her.

No.

He had Riley by her shirt collar, glaring at her. Riley's eyes were so wide, Maya was afraid they would pop out of her head.

Maya grit her teeth. "Get away from her!" she yelled, standing on her tiptoes.

"Eh?" the boy asked, turning to Maya, but not letting go of Riley, who was now whimpering.

"Let go of her!" she yelled, rushing forward and prying Riley's shirt from the boy's fingers. Riley gave Maya a grateful smile before dashing to stand near Lucas, clinging to his arm.

The boy scoffed, watching Riley run. "Pathetic," he grumbled before looking at Maya. She tried to look more brave then she really felt. She failed miserably. "And you're even more pathetic," he added, shoving Maya back towards her friends with more strength than she was expecting. She winced.

"Riley is not pathetic," she spat, glaring at him. "And neither am I."

"I'm gonna let you slide this time," he told her."But if you or your pathetic little friends rub me the wrong way again, it ain't gonna be pretty. Got it?"

Maya huffed. "Got it.'

They continued down the hall, comforting the now jumpy Riley.

**Can someone please tell me how the school system works in New York City? It must be different then Florida. Is middle school considered 7th grade through 9th grade or something? Because if I recall in one episode, Riley says " Look at that ninth grade woman," and during the pilot, Riley refers to it as a new school. And they're in seventh grade. So sixth grade must be part of elementary school, and high school must be 10th through 12th grade. Strange. . . definitely not what I'm used to.**


	2. Brock the Jock

**I'm really glad that people like this story! I'm trying to play it out like an episode. I've been asked if this will be a Laya fic, and the answer is no. I was just trying to incorperate Lucas and Maya's 'game' into this story as if it were like an episode. Readers of His Moment will know that I'm an avid Liley shipper. And besides, shippings won't play a huge part in this story. This story is about bullying, and what it can do to a person. No shippings, at least not in big parts. If any at all, it will be in small things, like Lucas comforting Riley or simething. Now look at me rambling! On with the story!**

Riley seemed really shaken up. Her eyes were wide and she hardly said a word the entire way to Mr. Mattews' classroom. They stopped at the lockers to get their books.

"Hey, Riles, you okay?" Maya asked. Riley shrugged.

"Yeah," she replied, obviously lying. "Just a little jumpy, that's all."

Farkle bounded down the hall, his eyes wide. "Riley! Maya! Lucas!" he cried.

"Farkle," Maya and Riley said at the same time.

"I heard that you stood up to Brock the Jock!" He said, his voice full of admiration. "Nobody's ever done that before!"

"Brock the Jock?" Lucas narrowed his eyes. As the new kid, he obviously wouldn't know who 'Brock the Jock' was. Neither did Maya, but she was able to safely make an assumption that this 'Brock' guy was the jerk who'd called her and Riley pathetic.

"Brock Miller," Farkle explained to Lucas. "He's a ninth grader. . ."

Maya tuned out the rest of the conversation. She turned to Riley, who seemed to be listening to whatever Farkle was saying.

". . . drowned a kid giving him a swirly. He was lucky to survive," Farkle finished.

Riley looked horrified. She threw her arms around Maya's neck, much to her surprise.

"Maya, you saved my life!" she yelled.

"Whoa, hold your horses, Riles," Maya said, prying herself away from Riley's grasp. "How exactly did I save your life, may I ask?"

"Did you not hear what Farkle said?" Riley looked at her as if she'd grown a second head. "Brock the Jock almost drowned a kid while giving him a swirly!"

Maya narrowed her eyes. "And you think he would have done that to you?" she asked, smirking.

"What would stop him?" Riley fretted, wide-eyed.

"Um, maybe the fact that he kind of isn't allowed in the Girl's Bathroom?" Maya suggested. "You know, 'cause he's a _boy?"_

Riley giggled. "That makes sense."

Maya patted her on the head. "I know it does. That's why I said it."

"Ladies," Farkle interrupted. "Shall we head to class? I think the bell will ring soon."

Maya checked her phone. "Yep. But let's walk really slowly. So we can miss as much of the lesson as possible."

She felt the hands of someone older and stronger than her. She jumped, thinking it was Brock the Jock. She relaxed when she saw the curly hair and kind eyes of Mr. Matthews.

"Now how would you learn anything that way?" he asked. Maya shrugged.

"Who said that I wanted to learn anything?" She asked him.

Mr. Matthews paused. "No one."

She grinned from ear to ear. "See, Mr. Matthews? You finally get me!"

Mr. Matthews rolled his eyes. "If there's anything I know about the world, it's that you _might _need to learn stuff to achieve. It's a, er, minor suggestion.

"So, you're saying that to be the Mini Mart Employee of the Month, I need to know everything about the Trojan Horse?"

Mr. Matthews paused. "No, but-"

"So when am I ever going to need to know your history lessons in real life?"

"Says the girl who danced on my desk because she made an assumption," he said dryly. Maya scoffed.

"Maya, he's serious!" Farkle pointed out. "We learn about history so that we don't make the same mistakes when we grown up."

Maya smirked. "So you're saying that when I grow up I'm gonna be the leader of some major empire?"

Mr. Matthews facepalmed. "Nevermind, Miss Hart. Just. . . get to class."

The group walked toward the classroom, laughing.

"Honestly, Maya, if you're ever the president of the United States, I'm moving to Africa," Riley said as they sat down in their usual seats.

Maya rolled her eyes. "And why is that?"

Riley opened her mouth to answer, but the bell rang and cut her off. Mr. Mattews walked in and started class.

But Maya couldn't pay attention. Not that she even wanted to. It was just review on the Trojan Horse. Nothing she needed to learn again. Maya had never gotten the point of review. Once she learned something, why did she need to learn it again? It was kind of like homework. Why didn't they just teach her what she needed to learn while she was at school?

But that's not what she was thinking about.

That guy. Brock the Jock. More like Brock the Jerk. He'd had no right to stop Riley like that. She'd had rather have him pick on her. At least she could handle it.

Riley was too innocent, too niave to handle that bully. All she ever wanted to do was fit in. She was quirky. She was awkward. But she was Maya's best friend. She had to protect her at all cost.

But maybe she was jumping too far ahead. Maybe that Brock guy would forget about Riley. And if he wouldn't, maybe Riley could handle it.

But Maya wasn't convinced that she could. Sure, Riley could stand up to Missy Bradford. But Missy was just one of those girls who was convinced she was more popular than everyone else. And Riley could surely beat her in a fight. If not, Maya could take her down for her.

But that Brock guy could easily slaughter both of them. He was older, stronger, and definitely a lot more fierce. At least, Maya wouldn't drown someone giving them a swirly.

A hand waved in front of her face.

"Earth to Maya!"

Maya blinked, and was plunged back into reality. How long had she zoned out for?

"Wha?" she asked. "What did I miss?"

"Oh, only the _whole class period," _ Riley told her.

"Oh, so I didn't miss much?"

Riley rolled her eyes. "Come on, Maya. We wouldn't want to be late for Gym!"

Maya sighed. How did Riley stay so perky all the time?

. . .

The girl's locker room was crowed, like it always was hard for Riley and Mato get to their lockers.

The whole room was hot, and it smelled like sweat. Maya hated gym for that very reason. Why did they have to wear those stupid uniforms? It never made a lot of things didn't make any sense go Maya. She'd learned that it was just a part of life. A stupid part, but one she couldn't control.

"Ugh, what stinks?" Maya wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Locker room smell," Riley said. "It's permanently soaked in to the room. I've heard the boy's locker room is worse."

"Oh, and who told you that?" Maya asked. She already knew the answer.

"Lucas," Riley said dreamily. Maya rolled her eyes, pulling her naturally wavy blonde hair into a ponytail before leading the way out of the room.

As soon as they were out, Riley froze. Maya heard her footsteps stop, and turned around.

"You coming, Riles?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, no," Riley groaned. "It's raining."

". . . And?"

"We can't go outside. . ." she seemed to be freaking out.

"Get to the point, Riley," Maya told her. Riley pointed to the middle of the gym, where a line of rubber balls were arranged in the center.

"Dodgeball. We're playing _dodgeball." _Riley groaned.

Maya was confused. " What's so bad about dodgeball?"

Riley looked at Maya with an intense look in her brown eyes. "I'm going to _die, _Maya, _die!"_

Maya put her hands on her hips. "You're freaking out over nothing, Riles. You're not going to die."

"Yes I am!" Riley protested.

"Whatever," Maya sighed. When Riley got like that, it was best to let her calm down on her own.

The game soon started. Riley and Maya were on the same team. Things seemed to be going well. Riley didn't die, that's for sure. For a while, it was girls against girls and boys against boys.

But then the coaches decided to be evil. Boys and girls against boys and girls.

The boys always took the game way too seriously. They pelted the balls and the speed they picked up through the air made it hurt like crazy when they hit. And they almost always targeted the girls when they played against them. More specifically, Riley.

Everything seemed to happen so fast. Maya and Riley were next to each other. Maya caught a ball someone had thrown before ducking under one aiming straight at her head.

"Can I have it?" asked Riley, who was horrible at catching.

"Sure," Maya handed it to her, knowing that whoever she threw it at would either miss them by a mile or be caught by someone else. Then Riley would be out without getting pummeled.

Riley through the ball. And for the first time, she actually hit someone!

But there was no time to rejoice. Had she hit anyone else, she would have been happy beyond belief. But no.

It hit Brock the Jock.

Maya froze. The huge boy was heading to the other side of the gym, like he was supposed to, because he was out. But the glare he was giving Riley was the look of someone who wanted revenge. And if it freaked Maya out, then surely it freaked Riley out.

" I'm going to die," she said plainly.

A dodgeball flew threw the air, high above the girl's heads. Someone yelled "Catch it, Brock!"

And Brock caught it. He narrowed his eyes, staring at Riley. He threw the ball with so much strength, you could hear it whiz through the air.

"I'm going to die," Riley repeated.

"Watch out!" Maya cried.

But she was too late. The ball struck Riley square in the center of her forehead. The brunette fell to the ground, hitting her head on the hard gym floor. Maya got hit, but she didn't care. She ignored the cries of 'you got hit' and 'you're out!' She kneeled down next to her best friend. She shook her gently.

The hit was enough to knock the girl unconscious.


	3. Fight

**Hey, guys, Pebble here! I just want to say thanks for all of the reviews and favorites and stuff :) **

Maya shook her a little harder. Her heart felt like it would burst out of her chest. Luckily, she wasn't in a cartoon, so it didn't. Maya clenched her fist and grit her teeth. Slowly, she rose to her feet, ready to murder someone.

The whole gym was silent. Her footsteps echoed across the room. Her blue eyes reflected the gym lights, making her look almost demented.

The coaches all ran forward, but Maya managed to get to him before they reached her. She grabbed him by his shirt, pulling him down to her level.

"What. Did. You. Do?" she whispered harshly.

Brock smirked. "I knocked out your pathetic little friend there. No pain no game."

"First of all, it's 'no pain no gain,' and second of all, why? What did she do to 'rub you the wrong way?'"

She was careful not to say anything to anger him too much.

"She got me out," Brock shrugged.

"So you _knock _her out?" Maya spat. The nerve of this guy!

"Yeah, pretty much. Ya want me to do it to you?"

Maya scoffed, sounding way more confident then she felt. Her eyes betrayed her fear. She felt small. Every logical ounce of her mind screamed to run away, to back down.

But Maya Hart did not back down.

"Try me."

She said it firmly, none of the terror she felt coming out of her voice. She took a quick glance at Riley's unconscious form before meeting Brock the Jock's eyes.

She clenched her fists, ready to defend herself. The coaches seemed to be moving in slow motion. _Everything _seemed to be moving in slow motion. Brock aimed a punch at her face.

She grabbed him by the wrist, twisting it around. He yelped in pain.

The teachers seemed to be getting fast. Maya's heart raced. She was in big trouble.

A chorus of students yelling "Fight fight fight!" reached her ears. Brock threw another punch, this time hitting Maya's jaw. She let out an involuntary squeal, earning a menacing laugh from Brock. He easily threw her to the ground, and kicked her in the stomach several times.

Wheezing, Maya layed down, seemingly giving in. But she was not going to give in. She had a plan.

"You're even more pathetic than I thought," he laughed, kicking her in the eye.

The coaches were closing in on them, about to restrain him. That's when Maya's moment came.

She sprang up as fast as she could, kicking him in his private parts. He howled in pain while Maya smirked.

"That's it, you little-"

"Save it, Mr. Miller," one of the coaches barked, holding the angry ninth grader back.

They led him away. He turned, and glared at her before they reached the gym doors. The look on his face seriously scared Maya. Not that she'd let it show.

"I will make your life hell," Brock growled before being pulled away. "That's a promise."

...

"Riley, are you sure you're okay?" Maya's voice was full of concern. Her friend was holding herself up by her elbows, pressing an icepack against her head. Maya had a similar icepack, pressed agsinst her eyelid.

They were sitting at their usual lunch table, waiting for Lucas and Farkle. Neither if them had said much since Riley had woken up.

"Maya, I'm fine. I just have a headache, that's all," Riley said, sounding quite annoyed. "Stop fussing over me. You're worse than my parents."

Maya smiled weakly. "Sorry."

"Are you two okay?"

Maya looked up to see a very wide-eyed Farkle leaning over the lunch table. She removed the ice from her eye, revealing a swollen, black-and-blue bruise over it.

"Do we look okay?" she asked dryly.

"So it's true?" Farkle asked, sitting down. "You got in a fight with Brock Miller?"

"No, I punched myself in the face, Farkle, what do you think?" Maya said, exasperated. She put the ice back on her eye before taking a bite of her food.

Lucas made his way to the table, his concern written all over his face. Maya groaned, not in the mood to deal with him.

"Before you ask, Ranger Rick, we're both fine," she said before he could open his mouth.

He sat down. "This Brock guy is getting to be a big problem."

"You don't say," Riley grumbled, too miserable to try to flirt.

Maya stared at her for a second. This wasn't the Riley she knew.

"Riles, are you sure you're okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine!" Riley cried, throwing her hands up in frustration.

Lucas rubbed Riley's back. "Riley, calm down," he said soothingly. "Maya's just worried about you. We're all worried about you."

"Tell us what's wrong, Riley," Farkle added softly.

"Nothing's wrong, you guys. Nothing at all."

Maya huffed. "You always make me tell you what's wrong, Riles, even when I don't want to tell you," she nudged her. "What makes you think we won't do the same to you?"

Riley grumbled. "I'm just not in a good mood today, alright?"

"What happened to the Riley who told me the day was beautiful even though it was pouring down rain?" Maya asked.

"She got pegged in the head by a dodgeball," Riley said plainly. Maya sighed.

"Riley, Maya, I just got a call from the nurse!" A man's voice said gently. Mr. Matthews stood near the table. "Are you two okay?"

"Yes, we're just fine," Maya muttered.

"You got into a fight, Maya?" he asked. She nodded.

"Brock started it. He kno-"

"I heard."

"Then why did you ask?"

"I wanted to hear it from you."

"That doesn't make any sense!" Maya cried. Mr. Matthews shrugged.

"I just wanted to check on you guys. See you after school!" and with that, he walked away.

Maya sighed. It was going to be a long rest of the day.

**Sorry, this chapter was a little too short for my liking. The next chapter will be longer, I promise!**


	4. Dreams

The rest of the day passed by slowly for Maya. She second seemed like minutes, the minutes seemed like hours. But finally, the last bell rang and the school day was over.

The Maya, Riley, Lucas, and Farkle strode down the stairs together. Lucas had turned his jacket into an umbrella again. They traveled in a pack-like formation, with Riley in the middle to protect her from Brock. They knew he'd been suspended (Maya had gotten off with a detention, set for the next day) but they didn't trust that he wouldn't send his goons after them. And when Maya had told her about Brock's promote to make their lives hell, Riley had gone so pale, Maya was afraid she might pass out.

"You guys, I don't need protecting!"

But now she was back to her normal, quirky self.

"Yes you do, Riles," Maya insisted.

"If Brock's goons come after you, then you're gonna thank us," Lucas added gently.

"We don't want you hurt, Riley," Farkle told her. Riley huffed.

"Fine."

...

Maya opened the door to the Matthews' apartment, walking in as if she owned the place, Riley following behind her. Almost instantly, Mrs. Matthews was at their side, fussing over them in that motherly way that Maya loved and hated at the same time.

"Are you okay? Maya, your eye!" she cried.

"We're fine, Mom," Riley told her mother. Maya nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, Mrs. Matthews. You don't have to worry about us."

"Yes I do," Mrs. Matthews said pointedly. "So, what exactly happened?"

"You tell her," Riley told Maya.

Maya sighed and told the story again for the millionth time. She talked about how Brock had thrown the ball at Riley and knocked her out, and how he'd wanted to fight Maya, and had beaten her easily. At the end, Mrs. Matthews' threw her arms around them.

"Oh, my!" she whispered. "Are you two sure you're okay?"

"I told you, we're fine-OW OW OW!" Maya jumped back as Mrs. Matthews hug tightened. She clutched her stomach. "He kicked me there," she croaked.

"I'm sorry, Maya," Mrs. Matthews said sincerely.

"I-It's fine," Maya said, turning away from them. She hated letting them see her like this. She was supposed to by Maya, the tough, rebellious bad-girl, not Maya, the girl who cried over a little pain. Maybe Brock was right; maybe she was pathetic.

She shook the thought out of her head. _He's just a jerk. He doesn't even _know _me. How does he know whether I'm pathetic or not? _she told herself. _He beat me in that fight because he had an unfair advantage. It's not my fault I'm short!_

She took a deep breath and turned back to Riley and Mrs. Matthews. She was met with a look of concern, written all over Riley's face.

"Are you okay, Maya?" Riley asked, her big brown eyes wide. Maya scoffed.

"Of course I'm okay," she told her. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"No reason," Riley said, not sounding fully convinced. Maya didn't blame her; she was having a hard time convincing _herself. _

"So," Maya bit her lip, wanting to break the awkward silence that had settled between them. "What 'cha want to do?"

"Homework?" Riley suggested. They both paused, then laughed.

"I mean, seriously," Maya said, "What do you want to do?"

"Let's go to my room," Riley said, and, not waiting for an answer, led the way to her room.

Maya plopped down on Riley's bed. She watched Riley close the door. There was a bump on her forehead, and Maya had only just notice. She sighed, and the bad thoughts began to flood her head again.

_I can't even protect Riley from this guy! I really am pathetic! _She closed her eyes, trying to convince herself that she wasn't pathetic. It didn't work in the slightest bit. In fact, it made her feel even _more _pathetic.

"Maya, are you okay?" Riley's voice seemed to bring her back to life.

Maya's heart raced. She searched for something to say, a way to let her friend know that she was okay. "I'm fine," she told her. _I hate lying to you, Riley._

Something clicked inside her head. Wouldn't lying to her best friend make her seem even more pathetic then she already was? She took a deep breath.

"You know what, Riles? I'm not okay."

Riley looked at her, her brown eyes wide with confusion. "Maya-"

Maya looked down. "I'm pathetic, Riley, pathetic. Brock was right."

"Why would you even- Maya! Don't listen to him!"

"But it's true! I couldn't even protect you from him today! You could have been seriously hurt!"

"Maya," Riley put her hand on Maya's shoulder. "No one could have protected me!"

Maya stared at the ground. "I-I don't know what came over me, Riles," she said sincerely. She leaned her head on Riley's shoulder, fighting back tears. "I'm just-just. . ."

"Scared?" Riley finished for her. "I know. I am, too."

...

With the morning came sunlight, and with the sunlight came the warmth that Maya had missed out on all yesterday. The sky was perfectly blue, no clouds to be seen. It was truly a beautiful day.

But Maya was _not _in a beautiful mood. She had not gotten much sleep last night, and with what little sleep she got, she had nightmares. Maya was not the type to wake up screaming and kicking in the middle of the night because of nightmares, but last night was an exception.

_"Brock, stop!" Maya cried. "You've already made her life Hell, leave her alone!"_

_She watched Riley groan as Brock kicked her in the stomach. The girl coughed, a red substance trickling from her mouth; blood._

_"I said stop!" Maya repeated, lunging at the guy._

_Either Brock grew bigger or she grew smaller, but Maya didn't know and quite frankly, she didn't care. She was scared out of her mind. Brock turned away from Riley, grabbing Maya by the back of her shirt. He turned her around, where all of a sudden, with a poof, there was a toilet._

_His strong hands pushed the back of Maya's head, plunging her into the water. She tried to scream, her cries muffled by the water. She heard Brock pull the lever, and the water began to swirl around her. Her lungs began to burn, and she pushed up, trying to get a gulp of air. But Brock was too strong._

Air, air! _was all she could think about as her brain began to swim. _I need. . . air. . . _was her last thought before her world faded into black._

That was when she'd woken up, gasping for air. She relaxed a little when she realized it was just a dream. But the memory stayed fresh in her find, and she couldn't shake the feeling that she was suffocating. And she was too scared to go back to sleep. She laid there for a while.

At around 6:00, Maya forced herself out of bed and got dressed. She let her naturally wavy blonde hair out of the braid she'd put it in last night. She looked at herself in the mirror and frowned. She had a black eye. Deciding that going to school and letting people see the black-and blue circle surrounding her eye was not something she'd enjoy, she put on a bit of make-up, attempting to cover it.

It didn't work. She would have to go to school with a black eye. She washed the make-up off and headed into the living room. Her mother had crashed on the couch after working a late shift at the diner, so she carefully tip-toed past her, picking up her backpack and heading out the door.

Her stomach growled, but she decided that she could wait until she got to Riley's house. The sun beat down on her, and she almost wished it were raining again. But that made it all the better when she reached Riley's apartment building.

"Hey losers, it's Maya," she said into the intercom, sounding more cheerful then she felt. Sweat rolled down her face, and her eye throbbed.

"Come on up!" Riley chirped. Maya smiled. Riley was the only person who could have made her smile in the foul mood she was in. She practically flew up the stairs, and opened the door, a fake but convincing grin on her face.

"Hey, Maya," the Matthews family said in unison.

"Sup, goofballs," Maya said cheerfully. But she felt dead inside.

"Maya, oatmeal," Mrs. Matthews insisted, pushing the bowl of mushy oatmeal towards her. Maya's stomach growled loudly, just loud enough for the family to hear.

"Well, somebody's hungry!" Riley smiled. Maya nodded. She didn't have it in her to protest, especially after they'd heard her stomach growl.

"Maya," Auggie piped up. "What happened to your eye?"

"Um. . ." Maya looked at Riley with a 'help me' look on her face.

"She got a boo-boo, Auggie," Riley supplied for her.

The table was quiet after that. Maya choked down the last spoonful of oatmeal, the memory of her dream still fresh in her head. If she closed her eyes, she could feel her lungs burning, and taste the toilet water as it swirled around her head. _Air! Air! _

It was the worst feeling in the world, not being able to breath. She was definitely _not _letting anyone give her a swirly in real life. Not that she'd wanted one before the dream, but now she knew what it felt like, too.

She was snapped out of the memory by Riley's voice.

"Earth to Maya! It's seven o'clock! Ready to go?"

Maya blinked. "Uh, yeah, of course I'm ready!" she said with a forced smile. She stood up, anting to leave as fast as she could. She grabbed her bag and hurried out the door, turning to wait for Riley, who was looking at her like she'd grown a second head.

As they headed downstairs, she sighed. _Ready for another day of torture. Yay._


	5. Kickball

**Hey guys! I just wanted to let you know that I won't be updating very fast. I'm busy with school stuff, and along with homework, clubs, Youth Group, and spending time with my friends, I don't have as much time to write as I'd like. But I won't leave you hanging! **

Mr. Matthews' class seemed to fly by. They say time flies when you're having fun, but Maya was NOT having fun. In fact, she was having the excact opposite of that. The class was boring, and she found that she didn't have the heart to make fun of Mr. Matthews or continue her banter with Lucas.

The bell rang for the end of the class, and Maya felt a wave of dread wash over her. It was time for gym.

Gym was when Brock the Jock's goons would most likely target the two of them. And she just happened to know that a lot of his seventh grader friends were in their class.

The girls silently walked to the gym. The look on Riley's face was enough for Maya to tell what she was thinking. In contrary to the bubbly girl she usually was, her face was pale and her brown eyes were wide, not with excitement, but fear.

_I'm scared, too, Riles, _Maya thought, her blue eyes reflecting Riley's.

They entered the gym and paused to look at the board to see what they were doing that day. The first thing Maya noticed was that there was a substitute. Instead of their coach, it was a man named Coach Harris. The second thing she noticed was- No. No no no no no.

"No. No no no no no!" Riley whined. "Kickball? Why kickball?"

Maya shrugged. "Let's hope we're on the same team," she said, trying to sound optimistic. Coaches almost never put friends on the same team. And they'd had Coach Harris as a substitute before. He already knew that she and Riley were unseperable best friends. He would surely separate them.

Maya didn't nessicarily HATE kickball. She actually kind of enjoyed it. She would pretend that the ball was Missy Bradford's head, and it would help her. But telling Riley to think of it like that was like telling her to murder someone. She would think that Maya was crazy!

Maya was very well aware why Riley hated kickball. She wouldn't sugarcoat it; Riley sucked at it. No matter how had she tried, she had just never gotten a hang of it.

"You know we won't be on the team, Maya," Riley sighed as they continued into the locker room. They silently changed into their gym clothes.

Sure enough, as Riley had predicted, they were not on the same team. The look of horror on Riley's face was enough to make Maya want to protest, but knowing Coach Harris, she thought better of it. She gave Riley a thumbs up and a smile in an attempt to reassure her, the fear in her eyes betraying the calm face she'd tried to hide behind.

After a game of Rock-Paper-Scizzors between the team captains, it was decided that Riley's team would kick first.

Maya stood at first base, ready to defend it. The first kicker kicked. The ball flew to the other side of the field, and the runner took the chance to run. He whizzed past her, and made it to third base before stopping, had he gone for ahome run, then he'd surely have gotten out.

Maya felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Coach Harris, who glared at her, his stern gaze burning into her eyes.

"It has come to my attention that you engaged in a fight yesterday," he told her.

"What gave you the memo? The black eye?" Maya asked dryly.

"I'm watching you, Hart," the coach said simply, walking away.

The game went on, and soon, it was Riley's turn to kick. The score was seven to seven, a tie. Riley's team had two outs.

All Maya could hear was the thumping of her own heartbeat, racing a mile a minute. Riley stepped up to home plate. Shaking with fear that everyone could sense. The ball rolled towards her. She gave a powerful kick, with enough force to send the ball flying- had she not missed the ball completely and fell into the dirt, landing on her butt.

A wave of dread washed over Maya when she realized that all of Brock the Jock's goons who were in their class were on Riley's team. They all roared with laughter.

"Hey, idiot, you have to _kick _the ball!"

"Nice try, loser! Not!"

They yelled those thing, and thing similar, but much more hurtful. Brushing herself off, Riley stood up, her legs shaking. Her face was beet red, and it was clear that she was struggling to keep the tears in her eyes from spilling over.

"Go ahead, cry!" one boy yelled. "Cry like the pathetic little baby you are!"

There was that word again. Pathetic. Maya was really beggining to hate that word.

But hating words were the least of her worries. She watched Riley's lip begin to quiver. As fast as she could move, Maya was at her side. Riley hurried her face into Maya's shoulder, choking back sobs.

"Don't listen to them, Riles," Maya soothed.

Riley didn't answer.

"Riley, you're not pathetic! You're not a baby! You're the farthest thing from it!" Maya continued, leading Riley away from the laughing people. Coach Harris came over to them, a stern look on his face. He opened his mouth to say something, but must have thought better of it when he met Maya's icy glare.

"Riley, listen to me," Maya cringed at how desperate her voice sounded. "Please. . ."

"I-I just. . . I just. . ."

A shadow fell over them.

"You just what?" a voice asked. It was an annoyingly snotty voice, one that Maya knew all too well. "You just realized how much of a pathetic little baby you are?"

"Shut up, Missy!' Maya snarled. Missy 'tsk, tsk'ed.

" Why should I listen to you?" Missy asked, putting on a look of fake innocence.

"Leave us alone," Riley whined. "I want to be alone- with Maya."

"Why should I care what you want? I want you to grow up and be a big girl, but NOPE! You're still just a little baby, aren't you?"

"You know what, Missy?" Maya stood up, a new surge of confidence pulsing through her veins, an never before seen fire sparking in her blue eyes. "You know what I think?"

"Wait, you _think?" _Missy gave a fake gasp.

Maya ignored her. "I think that you're the one who needs to grow up. You're so obsessed with sticking your noze in other people's business and making sure other people act their age that you forget to do the same yourself."

Missy looked dumbfounded. She obviously hadn't expected Maya to stand up for herself. She turned and stalked away without a word.

Maya let out a breath she didn't know she'd held in, the fire in her eyes slowly dying, the confidence dissapearing into thin air.

She watched the kickball game go on, offering awkward words of comfort to Riley every now and then. One thought kept repeating itself in her head.

_Where was that confidence when I stood up to Brock the Jock?_

**Ooh, so Maya stood up to Missy's pathetic butt. Can she do the same to Brock aand his goons?**

**The next chapter will bring new twists and turns, and lots of Liley. Stay tuned!**


	6. Failure

**Hey, guys! This chapter's kind of short, but I felt is was nessicary. Enjoy!**

By the time gym class was over, Riley had stopped crying. As the girls headed back to the locker room, they were met by a bunch of girls wanting to know what had happened. And Maya wasn't going to tell them.

"Get out of the way!" she snapped, pushing her way through the crowd, grabbing onto Riley's wrist and pulling her along with her.

The girls knew better than to argue with Maya. They cleared out of the way, some girls yelling 'eep!' as they passed them. Maya smirked. They were scared of her.

Silently, the girls headed to their separate lockers and got dressed, meeting up once they were done.

"Hey, baby!" A boy called from the other side of the gym. "You sure you don't need to go back to Kindergarten? Cause this is middle school; it's no place for crybabies like you!"

Maya's face turned red, and you could practically see the smoke rising from her ears. Riley began to sniffle, her lip quivering.

"Ignore them, Riles," Maya hissed under her breath. "Don't listen to them. You're more mature then they'll ever be."

Before she could say anymore, the bell for lunch rang. They headed to the cafeteria without a word.

...

"Riley, Maya, what happened?" a very wide-eyed Farkle asked, throwing himself into the seat next to Maya.

Maya sighed. Though Riley had stopped crying, it was easy to tell that she had been, and that she was still upset. Her eyelids were red and puffy, and her eyes lacked the sparkle they usually had. On her face was a very un-Riley-ish scowl that didn't seem to have any intention of leaving anytime soon.

Just looking at her reminded Maya of how much of a failure she was for not being able to protect her 'little plant.' She'd been run over by bulldozers way too many times for her liking.

"We had some trouble in gym today, Farkle," Maya sighed, not feeling like being snarky right now. She needed all of her friends at this time. She couldn't afford to say anything to anger him. Not that Farkle was easily angered, especially by Maya and Riley, the girls he 'loved,' but Maya didn't trust herself not to say something too nasty.

"Was it Brock the Jock?" Farkle asked, his concern written all over his face.

"You didn't get into another fight, did you?" Maya hadn't even noticed Lucas sitting down next to Riley.

"No and no," Riley grumbled, speaking for the first time in forever. "It was Brock's goons. . . they- they called me a. . ." her voice decrescendo'd to a soft whisper. "a crybaby. And I need to go back to Kindergarten!" her voice grew to a wail.

Lucas rubbed Riley's back. "Don't listen to them. It's okay, Riley. You shouldn't let those jerks make you feel like that."

"How can I not?" Riley cried, throwing her hands up in frustration. Maya sighed. She hated seeing her best friend like this. Why did they pick on her? Riley was a wonderful person! She was a sweetheart, the greatest person in the world! Who in their right mind would treat such a girl like that? Maya just didn't understand it!

"Simple," Lucas said, wrapping his arms around Riley. "Just ignore them. Riley, there are mean people in the world. You just have to get passed know you're an awesome person, I know you're an awesome person, that's all that matters."

To prove his point, he planted a soft, quick kiss on Riley's cheek.

Maya watched as Riley's scowl dissapeared, quickly replaced with a dreamy glint in her eyes. Maya couldn't resist smiling; no matter how upset Riley was, she knew that now she was the happiest girl in the world.

Riley leaned her head on Lucas' chest, not saying a word. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but Maya suspected they were tears of joy rather than sadness. Just seeing Riley so happy made Maya happy, and at that moment in time, Maya needed the happiness, even if it was only slight.

She looked down at her food, and her stomach lurched at the thought of eating the slop they called food. She sighed, pushing her tray away.

"Things will get better, Maya," Farkle piped up. Maya looked at him, curiosity sparkling in her blue eyes.

"Will they, Farkle? Will they?" she asked, her sincerity clear in her voice.

"Just have faith, Maya." Farkle said softly. "Just have faith."

...

"I'm scared, Riley," Maya said hoarsely, hating how soft and meek her voice sounded.

They were sitting on Riley's bed, doing homework, or, in Riley's case, persuading Maya to do her homework. Riley looked confused.

"You're scared of unit ratios? Come on, Maya, it's not _that _ hard."

Maya sighed. "No, Riley," she said, exasperated. "I'm not scared of math problems. I'm scared of Brock the Jock."

Riley's amused look faded into a look that matched Maya's. Her voice became softer. "Oh. Yeah. I'm scared, too."

Maya couldn't take it anymore. She felt like she was going to explode, with all of the emotions she was keeping bottled in. She needed to let it out.

"I feel like a failure, Riley!" she cried, throwing her hands in the air. She watched Riley's eyes widen, and saw her mouth open, most likely to protest. But Maya didn't want to hear it. "I should have protected you in dodgeball, but I didn't until it was too late! And when I did try to defend you, this happened!" she pointed at her black eye, which happened to be throbbing.

"Maya-"

"And today! I should have stopped those boys from making fun of you! They treated you like shit and-"

"Don't curse!" Riley must have given up on stopping her rant, but Maya fought hard not tolaugh when she interrupted to correct her.

"They treated you like poop- is that better?- and I didn't do anything about it! I failed you, Riley! You deserve a better best friend than me. One who can protect you."

"Maya," Riley said softly. "It's not your job to protect me. There is _no _way _anyone _ could have protected me Maya! You're the greatest best friend in the world! You're the farthest thing from a failure! What's gotten in to you?"

Maya burried her face into her hands. "I don't know! What's wrong with me?"

The bedroom door creaked open, and Mrs. Matthews stepped in.

"Mom?" Riley asked.

"Mrs. Matthews?" Maya croaked.

**Ooh, cliffhanger! What does Topanga have to say? **

**There wasn't as much Liley in here as I intended, but I like the way it turned out. Please leave a review on your way out!**


	7. A Mother's Love

**Hey, guys! This chapter's gonna be kind of short, simply because I couldn't think of much to add to it once I got what I wanted to say across. I wanted to add more, but I thought it would ruin the feels of this chapter. So I'll just add that next time! Enjoy!**

"Riley, Maya," Mrs. Matthews said softly, walking over to sit on the edge of Riley's bed.

"D-did you hear. . .?" Maya's voice trailed off. Mrs. Matthews nodded.

"I heard everything. And I think we need to talk."

Both girls nodded. Maya blushed slightly, embarrassed that her friend's mother had heard her little outburst.

"So," Mrs. Matthews began. "What's the story? What happened today."

Maya took a deep breath."There were some kids in P.E and they called Riley a crybaby and-"

"-told me that I needed to go back to-"

"-Kindergarten and I should have protected her but I didn't and-

"-she didn't need to protect me-"

"But I should have!" Maya's voice rose into an un-Maya-like wail. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she fought to keep them from spilling over. Maya Hart did not cry.

But this was one exception. She couldn't take it anymore. She had to let it out.

Hot tears streamed down her cheeks. She lost the strength to yell. Staring at her feet, she whispered, "I failed you, Riley. I failed you."

"Maya," Mrs. Matthews said softly. "You're not a failure."

"You did all you could, Maya," Riley added, gently stroking her back in the comforting way Lucas had done to her just hours earlier. "You could never fail me. I won't let you."

"You can't put the blame on yourself, sweetie," Mrs. Matthews told her.

Maya sighed. "I just wish that there was something I could have done. Riley, you deserve a better best friend than me."

"Maya," Riley looked heartbroken. "Maya how- how could you even think like that?"

"I don't know!" Maya closed her eyes. She took deep breaths, in and out. In and out. _Breathe, Maya, _she told herself. _Just breathe._

"Maya, finding a better best friend is impossible," Riley said. "Because you're already the best-est best friend in the world."

Those words rang in Maya's head. The truth hit her like a ton of bricks, but in a good way. She was loved. Riley and her family cared for her as if she were one of their own. More than her own family. At home, her own mother was never around, and the only thing she had was Ginger, the ferret. A ferret wasn't going to force her to eat breakfast, would it? No. The Matthews gave her food and warmth and love.

It came to her just then that she _needed _Riley and her family. And they needed her, too.

Maya felt horrible. How could she have even thought the things she thought? Or said what she'd said out loud?

"I'm sorry," she blurted out. "I don't know what came over me-"

"It's okay, Maya," Maya was silenced by Mrs. Matthews loving, motherly embrace. At first she froze, unsure what to do. Her mother never hugged her like this. The only thing she ever did to show that she cared about her daughter was bring her the occasional tuna melt; but even those were _very_ rare.

A split second later, Maya relaxed, relishing this feeling. A feeling she'd never known; a mother's love. Mrs. Matthews was a better mother to her than her own. She didn't ignore her children, she didn't run off to auditions she would never get whenever she had time off.

The feeling didn't leave as Mrs. Matthews pulled out of the hug. "So what is going on at school. This 'Brock' guy and his goons are bullying you two?"

Riley nodded. "Yeah. The won't leave us alone!"

Mrs. Matthews closed her eyes, and seemed to be thinking deeply. "There are mean people in this world," she told them.

"Why?" Riley asked, her eyes sparkling with curiousity.  
>"I don't know. But you can't let them get to you," Mrs. Matthews said.<p>

"How can we if they won't even let us _breathe _without teasing us for some thing or another?" Maya blurted out.

"I didn't," Mrs. Matthews said plainly.

Maya blinked. "_You _were bullied, Mrs, Matthews?" she cried in surprise. "B-but who would- why would they-?"

"Mom?" Riley asked quietly. "Why would someone want to bully you? You're the best!"

The slightest of smiles reached Mrs. Matthews' lips. "Let's just say I was _really _weird when I was your age."

"Weirder than her?" Maya pointed at Riley with a grin, watching her friend stick her tongue out at her.

"Oh, you don't know the half of it," Mrs. Matthews said, chuckling.

With that, she left the room.

**This chapter was much shorter than my other ones :P Anyways, make sure to drop a review on your way out! It'd be much appreciated!**


	8. Another Fight

**Hey, guys! Sorry for the long wait! An update to Up In Flames will be up soon, too! Enjoy!**

Mrs. Matthews' words stuck with Maya all night, and all through the next day. They gave her the extra boost of courage that she needed. And that day, no one bothered them. At school, at least.

Maya, Riley, Lucas, and Farkle were sitting at their usual booth at Svorski's after school, celebrating the bully-free school day.

"Here's to a day of no bullies!" Riley cheered, raising her hand for a high five. Maya laughed, shaking her head before raising her hand. _Weirdo, _she thought, watching Riley. _But if she's happy, I'm happy._

Lucas and Farkle joined in on the high-five, and they all cheered, earning strange looks from the other customers. Maya opened her mouth to say something, but didn't have a chance to.

"Maya," Riley said, her voice having gone from cheerful to scared in a split second. "Don't look now, but guess who just walked in here."

"Oh no," Farkle whispered. "We're goners!"

"What?" Maya cried. "What are you-" _Oh no__. . . _Her eyes widened.

There he was. Head dangerously close to the ceiling, muscles rippling under his shirt, which depicted a skull and crossbones, something that would never be allowed in school. His cold gray eyes locked with hers.

"Brock the Jock," she whispered hoarsely. Instinctively, Maya shielded Riley from him, even though she knew that if he wanted to hurt her, he could easily pull her away.

"Hey, yous," Brock said, pointing a fat finger at the booth. "Don't you know? This is _my_ booth."

"I don't see your name on it," Lucas said, sounding more confident then he looked.

"M-my parents o-own this place," Riley added. Maya closed her eyes. _Shut up, shut up, shut up. . . _she willed her. It didn't work. "We c-can sit wherever we w-w-want."

_This can't be good. . . _Maya thought. She opened her eyes.

Brock let out an animal-like growl. Roughly, he grabbed onto Maya's shoulder, pulling her out of the booth. She let out an involuntary squeak of pain. She stood up on shaky legs, but she was too late.

Brock had Riley by her shirt collar, having pulled her out of the booth. He stooped down to her level.

"What was that, sweetie? You parents own this place?" the mock sweetness in his voice sickened Maya. "Oh, well there's nothin' Mommy and Daddy can do right now, is there?," his voice went back to the deep, menacing voice that sickened her even more. He punched Riley in the jaw, making her squeal in pain.

Before Maya could move her aching muscles, Lucas was at his feet, roughly shoving Farkle (who was frozen like a statue) out of his way.

"Leave her alone!" he barked. The whole bakery went silent, all heads turned towards their booth.

"Aw, how sweet," Brock mocked. "He wants to help his pathetic little girlfriend."

"I'll show you pathetic," Maya growled, ready to launch herself onto the ninth grader's back. Lucas was faster.

In a split second, Lucas had Brock pinned to the wall of the diner. Brock easily pushed him away before throwing Riley to the ground. Maya swore she heard something crack, followed by a pained wail from Riley.

That was where she drew the line. With an animal like howl, Maya jumped onto Brock's back, wrapping her arms around his neck to keep him from breathing. He let out a choking sound.

"Maya!" Lucas cried. "Don't strangle him!"

Just as Maya was about to let go, Brock roared and jerked her to the side, sending her flying to the ground and knocking the wind out of her. Wheezing, she crawled over to Riley. Brock saw her and scooped Riley up right before she got to her.

"Leave her alone!" Maya protested.

"Help!" Riley cried. Now Maya could get a good look at her friend's ankle. It was twisted badly, swollen and bleeding. Maya grit her teeth, stumbling to her feet. The way the lights in the diner reflected in her blue eyes made her look like some sort of maniac. Just as she was about to snap, she was interrupted.

"STOP IT!"

Standing in the doorway of Svorski's diner was none other than Cory Matthews, in al his curly-haired glory. He stomped over to the group just as Brock dropped Riley. She let out a whimper as her broken ankle twisted even more.

"Mr. Miller, what do you think you're doing?" Mr. Matthews asked.

"Beating up Riley." Maya informed him.

"_Another _fight, Mr. Miller? I see. So you'd like another two weeks of suspension?"

Brock shrugged as if it didn't matter to him. "Just as long as she's been taught a lesson."

"A lesson for what?" Maya snapped. "A lesson for being happy all the time? A lesson for being kind to everybody? A lesson for being the best friend anyone could have?"

"A lesson for being a weird, annoying little seventh grader more like it," Brock growled.

"She is a human being!" Maya cried. "There's a way to treat a human being, and this is not it!" (A.N. Reference time!)

"Miss Hart is right, Brock. Two weeks suspension." Mr. Matthews said.

"But we're not even in school!" Brock went from being a brute to whining like a five-year-old. "How is that fair."

"I'm mad with power," Mr. Matthews shrugged. Brock the Jock stalked off as he crouched down to see his daughter.

"Is he gone?" Riley whimpered. It broke Maya's heart to see her like that.

"Yeah, sweetie." Mr. Matthews said gently. "He's gone."


End file.
